About this list
A curated list of essential German public transport — organized into categories with translations and example sentences. A practical starting point for using these words in real conversations.
If you are staying in a German-speaking country, you will probably use public transport. Buses, trains, and trams are often the easiest way to get around, especially in cities like Berlin, Munich, or Vienna.
In this article, we teach you the most important German words and phrases you need when using public transport. Pair it with our list of German travel phrases for the conversational side of the same situations, and our list of German directions vocabulary for asking your way around once you've stepped off the U-Bahn.
Let’s begin with the most common vocabulary.
Public Transport Vocabulary
Here are some general German words that relate to taking public transport in Germany:
Public Transport Vocabulary
- die öffentlichen Verkehrsmittelpublic transport
- die U-Bahnsubway / underground
- die S-Bahncity train (faster, regional)
- die Straßenbahntram
- der Busbus
- der Zugtrain
- die Haltestellestop (bus or tram)
- der Bahnhoftrain station
- die Fahrkarteticket
- der Fahrscheinticket (alternative word)
- die Monatskartemonthly ticket
- das Gleistrack / platform
- die Richtungdirection
- umsteigento change (trains/buses)
- aussteigento get off
- einsteigento get on
- die Verspätungdelay
- pünktlichon time / punctual
Common Phrases
You might also want to remember some of these phrases:
Buying Tickets in German
In many cities, you can buy tickets at a machine or online. Some machines have English, but not all. It helps to know a few key phrases and words.
There are different types of tickets:
Buying Tickets in German
- die Einzelfahrkartesingle ticket
- die Tageskarteday ticket
- die Wochenkarteweekly ticket
- die Monatskartemonthly ticket
- die Gruppenkartegroup ticket
Always check if your ticket needs to be validated before boarding. You usually validate it at a small yellow or blue machine next to the entrance.
But you can also always ask. Here are some questions:
Using the Right Direction and Line
In Germany, it’s important to know which Linie (line) and which Richtung (direction) you need.
Each subway or tram line has a number or a letter, and you can check the direction by looking at the final station name.
Summary
Using public transport in Germany is easy and safe — if you know the right words.
If you want more helpful German for everyday life, have a look at our other guides and lessons.